hdiff(1)

✨ hdiff — the HDF diff bestie ✨

okay so you've got two HDF files and you're like "are these the same or is something sus" — that's literally what hdiff is for, and it's giving main character energy fr fr 💅

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

hdiff [-V] [-b] [-g] [-s] [-d] [-D] [-S] [-v var1[,...]] [-u var1[,...]]
      [-e count] [-t limit] [-p relative] file1 file2

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

hdiff compares two HDF files and reports the differences. that's it, that's the whole vibe — you hand it file1 and file2, it snitches on every single thing that doesn't match. no cap. 🔍

💖 OPTIONS 💖

• -V — shows you the version of the HDF4 library and then dips out. bye bestie 👋
• -b — verbose mode, aka it actually tells you stuff. chatty era. 🗣️
• -g — compare global attributes only. just the big-picture tea. ☕
• -s — compare SD local attributes only. local lore, nothing else. 🏠
• -d — compare SD data only. numbers only, no small talk. 🔢
• -D — compare Vdata data only. vdata girlies rise. 📊
• -S — print statistics. receipts, basically. 🧾
• -v var1[,...] — compare SD data on variable(s) var1,... only. pick your faves. 👑
• -u var1[,...] — compare vdata on variable(s) var1,... only. same energy, vdata edition. ✨
• -e count — print difference up to count number for each variable. a little limit, as a treat. 🍓
• -t limit — print difference when it is greater than limit. tiny differences? not invited. 🚫
• -p relative — print difference when it is greater than a relative limit. proportional drama only. ⚖️
• file1 — File name of the first HDF file. the original, the blueprint. 🦋
• file2 — File name of the second HDF file. the challenger. ⚔️

🔥 the rules, bestie 🔥

• The 'count' value must be a positive integer. no negative, no zero, no decimals, we're not doing that. 😤
• The 'limit' and 'relative' values must be positive numbers.
• The -t compare criteria is |a - b| > limit
• The -p compare criteria is |(b-a)/a| > relative

💀 return codes 💀

• 0 — no differences found. twins. identical. slay. 🫶
• 1 — differences found. something is OFF and hdiff found it. 😭

lowkey the exit codes are the most important part if you're scripting this, so like, remember them. iykyk.

🌈 see also 🌈

not a whole lot to add here — it's just you, your two HDF files, and the truth. ✨

okay that's the whole page bestie, hope it ate 💅

this lil cutie comes from the HDF4 crew, dated 28 May 2016 — written in the hdiff(1) manual, section 1, and yeah it's been serving the same facts since then, no notes. 🎀